The art of being me and you
by 5UP3RN47UR4L
Summary: Peter takes away Isaac's pain when he's hospitalized after getting electrocuted. AN: The chapters in cursive are flash backs of Peter's and Isaac's relationship.


'_You have one new message.'_

'_Peter, you better come to the hospital. It's Isaac.'_

*TW*TW*TW*TW*TW*

"Isaac Lahey?" I demanded from the first person who looked even remotely like hospital staff at the nurses' station.

The young woman in green scrubs eyed me suspiciously behind the counter where she was filling out paperwork and sipping her coffee.

"Are you his family, sir?"

_He doesn't have one._

"Yes."

The woman kept looking at me taking me in from head to toe. Apparently I didn't pass her security check because she decided to close whatever map she was filling out giving me her full attention instead of just quickly pointing me to the right room.

"What's your relationship to him?"

I was used to people looking at me like some dangerous criminal but in times like these it really made things harder if people didn't feel comfortable around me.

*TW*TW*TW*TW*TW*

"_You're a hard man to figure out, Peter Hale." I hear you say quietly against my neck. "But I think I've somehow worked you out."_

"_You think?" I chuckle and lazily stroke your back with my fingertips. _

_The night is well on its way to the small hours and the half-moon cast its pale bright light into the room from the small gap between the curtains. There is enough light to create silhouettes of objects but not really to see anything but shadows. The night air is cool but your warm body next to me radiates just enough heat to keep me comfortable. _

_Your head nods a little and in the process your curly hair tickles my ear and chin. _

"_I think you want to keep others at bay on purpose and you do that by being a mean, sarcastic, manipulative asshole."_

_My fingers stop making their odd patterns on your back. _

"_To any sane person your whole being is a screaming warning sign to stay away, not to trust you."_

"_Do __**you**__ trust me?" My voice is hoarse._

_The silence stretches out so long I think you has decided to ignore my question or are just sank in your own thoughts but finally your thoughtful voice breaks the loaded silence: "I think for me to trust you, you'll have to trust me first." _

*TW*TW*TW*TW*TW*

"Sir?" The nurse interrupted my thoughts sounding a bit irritated by my absence. "What's your relationship to Mr. Lahey? I'm afraid I can't let you in if you're not family."

"I'm his ma – I'm his…"

What was the human term for a party in a lifelong romantic relationship between two male ware wolves? A boyfriend? We were long past that phase. A man friend? Yes, if I was a pedophile. A life partner? Not sure if we were there yet.

"Peter, we're here", suddenly I heard Scott's voice from somewhere along the busy corridor. I turned to walk toward him and the open patient room door not bothering to pay attention to the nurse anymore but Scott waved at her: "It's okay. He's Isaac's boyfriend."

If it hadn't been for my wolf abilities I wouldn't have heard the nurse almost chocking on her own coffee.

"What happened?" I asked as I brushed past Scott into the room.

It was a fairly typical private hospital room. I had spent enough time in hospitals, especially this one, to get familiar with the standard equipment of a patient room. What gave away Isaac's more serious state was that I didn't recognize all the devices surrounding his bed. His heart rate sounded agitated but hearing it with my own ears allowed me to breathe a bit easier.

"It was an accident in front of the hospital, he got electrocuted badly."

"Stiles caused this?" I asked keeping my eyes on Isaac's still body.

"The _nogitsune_ caused this", there was an audible edge in Scott's voice. "I know you're upset right now but you're not to touch Stiles before we figure out a _safe _way to get it out of him."

My world turned into crystal blue as my wolf blood flared up in my veins. Faster than a heartbeat I slammed Scott against the wall pressing my wolf-nails on his pulse point.

"You're not my alpha, _boy_." I growled at his face. "If Isaac doesn't make it you can be sure I'll go after Stiles and rip him apart and I'll hunt as long as it takes to do the same to the nogitsune as well."

Scott's eyes flashed bright red but otherwise he kept his cool.

"You won't even make it out of this hospital if I know you're going to hurt him. And you're not strong enough to take out the nogitsune by yourself." He firmly gripped my hand that was threatening him. "I suggest you use your anger to help us instead of getting us into more trouble. You think his father, the _sheriff_, will take it lightly if you kill his son?"

I was about to snap that I didn't give a flying fuck about the damn sheriff but was interrupted by the increasing beeping of Isaac's heart monitor. His heartbeat was off the roof, a clear sign of intense pain. I could sense his distress, the air in the room reeked of it.

"I tried to absorb some of his pain to make him more comfortable." Scott said quietly. "But I don't think it made much of a difference."

I moved over to Isaac's bed taking in his appearance. He was unconscious but breathing on his own. His face was paler than usual and sweat had made his curly hair to glue down to his skin. Seeing and smelling the burned flesh of his face, neck and forearm reminded me way too much of my own painful recovery years ago. There was no way I'd let Isaac go through that hell. Not without any help at least.

*TW*TW*TW*TW*TW*

"_You never talk about the fire or your coma." I hear your voice behind my back where you're sitting at the kitchen table watching me cooking a dinner for us. Tikka masala, your favorite and my bravura, is on the menu tonight. "Why is that?" _

"_For the same reason you never talk about your father beating you and locking you into the freezer." I say not turning from the counter to look at you. _

"_I talk about it to you." _

"_And you know how much I enjoy those talks?" I'm chopping the onions with more force than necessary. This isn't my idea of a relaxed cooking conversation. _

"_I know you don't but you listen to me anyway because you know talking about my father helps me to get over him."_

_I snort. So still getting nightmares about your piece of shit of a father after all this time is 'getting over him'?_

"_Good for you." I mutter under my breath but I know you can easily hear me. _

"_Peter, I'm serious."_

"_So am I so drop it." _

_You sigh long and suffering as always when you don't get your way. At the beginning of our relationship those sighs combined with your puppy dog's eyes almost made me give in to whatever you were asking. Almost. I still wasn't so far away from caving in when you get like this but lately I had grown a thicker skin for your pleadings. And they say I'm the manipulative one. _

"_I just want to help you to get over it."_

_There aren't enough hours in your life for me to talk about the fire to get over it._

"_Yeah, maybe someday I'll make your wish come true and tell you all about it." I snap while mutilating the chicken into little shreds. "Then you also can experience all the gut wrenching and heart ache I go through when you're trying to get over your abusive father." _

_It gets quiet in the kitchen after that but I can feel your eyes on my back saying you're not done with this subject yet. _

*TW*TW*TW*TW*TW*

"You can't absorb enough." I said as I ran my fingers gently on Isaac's better cheek. His skin was clammy but cool. I don't know if it was just me imagining but I could had sworn as soon as I touched Isaac's face he leaned ever so slightly against my hand. "The older the wolf the more they can take. Your absorbing abilities are capable but not even close to what it takes to relieve pain this intense."

Scott shuffled closer to us from the wall he was still leaning against clearing his throat. "I'm going to take a look on how the others are doing and give you two some time."

I nodded my thanks to him but didn't really notice how he looked at me for a while before walking out of the room closing the door quietly behind him.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

I closed my eyes and took deep even breaths to calm myself. Doing this when not being totally control of yourself could cause more harm than good. I could accidently absorb some of my own pain into him instead of the other way around. I had to clear my mind and concentrate fully on him why it was good that Scott had left the room. I wasn't looking forward to opening up all my wolf channels to take in pure discomfort but there was no other way. Human painkillers did very little to ware wolves.

It began with the familiar tingling sensation which was very close to what I always feel when I'm about to turn. It was like blood rushing back to your limb when it has been asleep for a while. Tingling didn't last for long though but was soon replaced by heat going through my veins. Like my blood had been suddenly warmed up close to boiling. I knew if I looked down at my arm now I could see the black lines snaking their way up to my elbow.

I gritted my teeth as the heat became more unbearable. It felt like my whole right arm was on fire and the flesh was melting slowly away baring the bone. The more it hurt the more tightly I gripped Isaac's arm making the connection stronger. I couldn't stop yet, else it would have been for nothing, achieving barely more than Scott had earlier.

The only thing that kept me holding onto his arm and letting the black veins work their magic was hearing how Isaac's monitors slowly calmed their pace. I counted in my head his slowing heart beats. I still wasn't reached my goal when I was forced to break the contact by yanking my hand away. I was about to pass out but managed to keep standing by leaning heavily against Isaac's bed. My sight was once again crystal blue and the fangs were trying to push through my gums but I was trying my hardest to stop the turning. My wolf tried to take control to absorb the pain faster but I knew better than to wolf out in a full intense care unit.

After I had gotten myself under control again I re-examined Isaac's face carefully. His lips weren't pressed as tightly together as they had been a few minutes ago. Also his forehead was a bit smoother and not frowning as deeply. I reached to softly touch his cheek again and now he was definitely ever so lightly leaning against my palm. I believed he was still out of it and his body was really just acting on its wolf instincts seeking comfort from its mate. The wolf part in us was able handle more than our human side.

"Good." I mutter approvingly while tenderly petting your hair, trying to soothe your body. Suddenly I'm smiling to myself as I remember something. "I bet you regret that whole 'in sickness and in health' talk now, huh? Have you any idea how much you owe me for that absorbing session? After you get better you're so going to bottom for at least two months."

*TW*TW*TW*TW*TW*

_I roll off your back catching my breath. I gingerly straighten my back and limbs into their normal position while slowly but surely soothe my wolf back in its cage. As I'm cooling off the blissful afterglow works its way into my muscles relaxing them. _

"_Ummm" you kind of yawn and hum at the same sounding tired but happy while shifting on you back beside me. "That was amazing." _

"_Yeah" I sigh. "It was." _

"_Hey Peter." You sound a bit unsure. "I've been meaning to ask you this and please don't take this the wrong way but why you get to always be on top?"_

"_You complaining?" _

_I can't see your face but I can hear the eye roll in your voice: "I said don't take it the wrong way."_

"_How am I supposed to take a comment like that?"_

"_First of all it wasn't a comment, it was a question. I'm simply asking you to explain me something I don't understand. And secondly since when you've been this insecure about your sex skills? With me? Haven't I told you already that I'll let you know if I don't like something?"_

_That was the first rule we had agreed on. I remember when I made you promise me you would tell it to my face if I ever did something you weren't into. I had made you promise me that right after you had been pretty much in tears and flinched away from my touch after a bit rougher fuck. It had taken me hours to fish out what was wrong with you but after I finally succeeded I had felt like throwing up. God knew for how long you had been just taking it, thinking that was how it's supposed to be._

"_I thought you didn't mind bottoming?" I try to steer the conversation away from my personal sore spot. _

"_I don't!" You hurry to reassure me. "I enjoy it very much but I also wouldn't mind being on top every now and then."_

_There isn't an easy way to put this._

_Sigh._

"_You know how every pack has its alpha, right?" You nod. "Well, the same goes for mates. Other is the alpha and other is – "_

"_The not-alpha?" You sound dumfounded. "Seriously? So what you're saying is that you won't take it in the ass because that would make you submit to __**me**__? Your inferior?" _

"_Isaac – " I try to reach and touch your forearm but you snatch your arm away from me and get out of the bed. In seconds you're yanking your clothes on barely holding your anger from bursting all over the place. I'm now sitting on the bed watching how you angrily toss both our clothes around trying to clearly get away from me as fast as possible taken aback at how fast things had gotten from very good to very bad. _

"_Well, I didn't sign up for that, Peter." You spat at my direction while pulling your shirt on in the most vicious way I've ever seen. "I just got out of my father's dominion, I'm not about to get involved in another sick power play relationship." _

_That comment snaps me out of mine surprised haze and it's my turn to get furious. _

"_You're seriously comparing me to your father?!" My sight has never been this crystal blue in my life. "I've never hurt you like that!"_

"_No, but you __**could**__." Your eyes are glowing yellow in the otherwise close to pitch dark room. "You're in the position in which you could use me anyway you pleased and that's not how I want to spend the rest of my life. I'm not saying you're my father, I'm saying I never want to be in that position again." _

_For a while it gets quiet in the room while we are both taking in what has been said. I sense this is something you've been mulling over for some time now. There's been something off with you lately but I thought you'd come to me when you feel ready but to be honest this was never what I thought was bothering you. _

"_I'm sorry." I whisper. Your tense figure stays few feet away from our bed. You still hadn't stormed out of our room so I guess I'm doing something right. "I just assumed you knew." _

_You snort. "And why should I believe your manipulative ass? I think you were just seeing for how long you could get away with it." _

"_That's not true. You know I would never do that to you."_

"_Prove it." I hear a clear challenge in your voice. _

"_How?" _

_I'm a bit wary. People don't make the most reasonable decisions when they are this upset and I know your mind can be pretty wicked when you're on your certain moods. _

"_Be equal to me." _

"_You mean being the beta?" _

"_No, I said equal. Let's forget all that beta-alpha crap and be equals, no one gets to be the alpha or the beta in this relationship." _

_I frown. "But we're wolves, the rules are there for a reason." _

"_We're __**ware**__ wolves." You correct me. "We're also humans. Humans don't dominate each other into relationships. It's not love if you need to control someone to love you back."_

_I stiffen in my place as you approach me. The mattress dips under your weight as you climb on my lap carefully straddling my hips. _

"_I think you're it for me, Peter, and I don't want to walk away from this." You reach your hand to slowly massage my neck. "But if you're not ready for this change then I don't have a choice." _

"_Don't leave." I beg before I can stop myself. I burry my face against your neck as if I'm ashamed of such revelation. You keep knotting my neck calmly and patiently waiting for me to get myself together._

_I sigh._

"_Fine. As from now on we're equals." For a second you hold me a bit tighter and I know once again I've shown you something the others will never see in me. "But I won't say I'm not going to rebel against this. I was born wolf, all this is written in my DNA much more permanently than in yours." _

_You chuckle and kiss the top of my head. "I didn't except you to just roll over at once. But now we're on the same page so that's a start." _

_You lean back slightly and tilt my chin up so you can face me better._

"_Thank you for trusting me on this. Being equals means I'm not just your responsibility but you're mine too. It means you can come to me with your problems and trust to get any help I can give you. You'll be as safe with me as I'll be with you. I don't think you've ever had that." _

_Those words hit a bit too close to home and I can't keep facing you but re-burry my face in your neck nuzzling the soft skin with my lips. You know facing my feelings head on isn't my strong suit so you let me to hide myself in you. _

"_In sickness and in health we'll share all shades of our lives 50-50." _

**The end.**


End file.
